Jennifer McCarthy

Jennifer McCarthy is “extremely pragmatic, smart and outcome-oriented.” Clients add that she is “very capable, hard-working and available.”Chambers Europe: Europe’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2018

“Clients describe Jennifer as “technically very strong in insurance portfolio transfers,” as well as “incredibly commercial and pragmatic.” She focuses on regulatory and transactional mandates for major insurers, and her recent work has involved cross-border elements.Chambers Europe: Europe’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2017

“Clients are effusive in their praise of her work: ‘She was really practical and clearly had an in-depth knowledge of insurance and the related regulations. We were very positive about her and she really helped us in getting on the right track.'” Chambers Europe: Europe’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2016

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Expertise

Jennifer is a partner in the firm’s Insurance Group. Jennifer advises both domestic and international clients on all aspects of insurance law and regulation. Jennifer’s practice includes advising on the establishment of an Irish carrier; on-going prudential requirements (e.g. solvency requirements, corporate governance, compliance and substance requirements) and the provision of insurance on a cross-border basis (e.g. conduct of business rules, product offerings and establishment requirements for third country providers). Jennifer has advised extensively on portfolio transfers (both life and non-life), cross-border mergers, court-sanctioned amalgamations and transfers of insurance/reinsurance business and notifiable acquisitions/disposals in Irish insurers/reinsurers. Jennifer also advises on distribution arrangements (including white labelling distribution), outsourcing in the insurance sector and reinsurance / retrocession arrangements. She also has extensive experience advising on administration/liquidation processes for Irish insurers and access to statutory compensation schemes. Jennifer joined Arthur Cox in 2012 having previously worked in the insurance practice of an other large Irish corporate law firm for over six years. Jennifer is the Irish contributing author to two leading textbooks on cross-border mergers in Europe and has presented on a range of insurance topics over the last number of years.

Experience

Acting for Swiss Re’s business unit Admin Re on the Irish aspects of its proposed acquisition of Guardian Financial Services for GBP 1.6 billion.

Advising CNP on its €300 million acquisition of a 51% stake in Santander’s Irish insurance operations.

Advising EXOR on its $1.6 billion acquisition of the Partner Re Group.

Advising the liquidator of Setanta Insurance Company Limited on regulatory aspects of the insolvency including access to the Irish Insurance Compensation Scheme.

Advising KBC Insurance in relation to its white labelled life and non-life distribution arrangements.

Advising the Quest Group on the acquisition of a number of Irish run-off portfolios (including PMI Mortgage Insurance Company Limited).

Advising Koch Industries on the transfer of its captive insurer’s liability business to AIG.

Advising Preem AG on the transfer of its liability business and the closure of its Irish operations.

Advising the Covea Group on its acquisition of a majority stake in Medical Insurance Company DAC.

Advising a consortium of investors on the potential acquisition of the run-off business of a large Irish Life Insurer.

Advising a large Irish mutual insurer in relation to its outsourcing arrangements and the disposal of its subsidiary brokerage business by renewal right sale.

Advising a large UK bancassurance group on the contemporaneous transfer of business of its life and non-life insurance carriers from Ireland to the UK.

Advising on the transfer of the German general insurance business of an international insurance group into an Irish authorised head office by combined cross border merger/portfolio transfer mechanism.

Advising on the administration of a large Irish Insurer and the operation of the Insurance Compensation Scheme.

“Arthur Cox takes a client-centred approach and makes it a priority to understand our group and business. They have impressive depth of knowledge across all practice areas relevant to our business and generally have a deep enough bench for even very sizable transactions.”

IFLR 1000, 2018 edition

“The firm is very strong and reliable. They are proactive and technically excellent.”

IFLR 1000, 2018 edition

"The firm has a very practical approach to dispute resolution. They take time to understand things from a business and a legal perspective. The advice is always practical, clear and solution-focused."

Chambers Europe: Europe’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2017

"This is an outstanding firm, which goes above and beyond for its clients."